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¹ For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.² For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon, with our house which is from heaven:³ If being clothed, we shall not be found naked.⁴ For we who are in this tabernacle groan, being burdened; not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up of life.⁵ Now he that hath wrought us to this very thing is God, who hath also given us the earnest of the Spirit.⁶ Therefore we always behave undauntedly; knowing that while we are sojourning in the body, we are absent from the Lord:⁷ (For we walk by faith, not by sight.)⁸ We behave undauntedly, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord.⁹ Therefore we are ambitious, whether present, or absent, to be well-pleasing to him.¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive according to what he hath done in the body, whether good or evil.¹¹ Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men: but we are made manifest to God, and I trust we are made manifest in your consciences also.

¹² We do not again recommend ourselves to you; but we give you an occasion of glorying on our behalf, that ye may have something to answer them, who glory in appearance, and not in heart.¹³ For if we are transported beyond ourselves, it is to God; if we are sober, it is for your sakes.¹⁴ For the love of Christ constraineth us, while we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:¹⁵ And that he died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live to themselves, but to him who died for them, and rose again.

¹⁶ So that we from this time know no one after the flesh; yea, if we have known even Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.¹⁷ Therefore if any one be in Christ, there is a new creation: the old things are passed way; behold, all things are become new:¹⁸ And all things are from God, who hath reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation: Namely,¹⁹ that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their traspasses to them, and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation.²⁰ Therefore we are embassadors for Christ, as though God were intreating by us: we beseech you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.²¹ For he hath made him, who knew no sin, a sin-offering for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God through him.